1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system digital media files and digital rights management, and more particularly to a system and method for self-decaying digital media files and for validated playback of such digital media files.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Advances in processing, storage and communications components used to build information handling systems have led to increasing convergence of information handling system and entertainment technologies. Many information handling systems are able to access and play audiovisual information content stored in various analog and digital formats on a variety of storage devices and mediums. For example, an information handling system may include an optical drive that will read and write audiovisual content from and to an optical medium, such as a Compact Disc (CD) or Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). Using such an optical drive. an end user can insert a CD or DVD to listen to audio content through speakers or headphones of the information handling system and to watch visual content through a display associated with the information handling system, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), or other display, integrated into or externally connected to the information handling systems. Often on such systems, end users are able to copy the audiovisual content from the optical medium and store that content on persistent storage on the information handling system, such as on a hard disk drive, flash memory or other persistent storage devices. By using formats that digitize and compress the audiovisual content, such as the MPEG standards for video information content and the MP3 standard for audio information content, end users are able to store digital media files forming a considerable library of digital media content. There exist a wide variety of technologies that allow users to obtain and store digital media files on and move those files between information handling systems. For example, a number of file sharing applications have made digital media file libraries widely accessible through the Internet. Broadband networking capability has reduced download times for minimal download delays while widespread wireless networking capability, such as residential gateways and retail hot spots, has made access very convenient. There are a growing number of commercial sources for audio and video digital media files that allow users to select, purchase and download digital media files for use on information handling systems. And, end users increasingly store, create, modify, listen to and/or watch audiovisual information in digital media files on a wide variety of devices, including but not limited to consumer electronics devices, digital media systems, personal computer systems, notebooks, cell phones and personal digital media devices.
The ease with which end users can copy, modify and move digital media files has raised concerns about the protection of the intellectual property rights associated with audiovisual information embodied in those files. Content creators, authors and owners recognize that they hold the responsibility not only for distribution of this content but also for establishing any desired protection scheme. As such, intellectual property owners have responded to this concern by attempting to protect audiovisual information with a variety of Digital Rights Management (DRM) platforms that, for example, may provide some control over core functionalities of information handling systems with respect to protected audiovisual file information, such as the ability to transfer or copy a digital media file, the ability to read a file on unlimited devices, the ability to covert a file to a different formats, and related functionalities. Some DRM platforms enforce such restrictions, for example, by wrapping digital media files with levels of security. One difficulty with wrapping files is that, once access to the file is granted, the file may be compromised and the audiovisual content can be transferred to unrestricted formats. Another difficulty is that many DRM platforms typically require at least a one-time Internet interface to a remote system or server prior to allowing access to a protected file and sometimes require this Internet interface for each access of a protected file. This connection requirement limits the usefulness of protected files and generally forces content providers to either release an unprotected file usable on any device or a protected file usable only on a limited number of devices.